Snow White
by ArgentNoelle
Summary: Adaptation of Snow White, from the villain's point of view.


_**Snow White**_

Once upon a time there lived a girl who had hair as black as a raven's wing, skin as white as snow, and lips as red as blood. Her name—well, her name is not now remembered, but they call her Snow White.

Snow White was the most beautiful girl in the land, but her stepmother became jealous of her when she realized this—before Snow White, none had been more beautiful than she.

So the woman, who had a talent for dark magics, decided Snow White must be killed. She sent for her most trusted servant to bring Snow White into the woods and there to kill her, and cut out her heart as proof. But the man, when he saw Snow White, could not kill her, and he ordered her to run.

He came back with the heart of a wild boar, and the woman ate it, satisfied that Snow White now lay in the forest, dead.

But that was not the case, though the woman was not to know this until she went to her mirror, which, as it was magic, could reflect anything the wisher desired.

Now, the woman went to her mirror, and chanted,

_Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall  
Who is the Fairest One of All?_

But the mirror could only show the truth.

It showed Snow White.

Now the woman went in a rage to her servant and had him executed at once, then set to with her magic spells to find the place where Snow White hid.

So when she had found the place she spun a web of disguise round her, to give her the appearance of a most ugly hag. Then she brought with her into the woods a comb for Snow White's hair.

She came to where Snow White stood washing, and in the sweetest voice she could muster, begged Snow White to look at all the pretty things she had for sale.

Now Snow White was still very innocent, and would never dream this kind old lady might hurt her. So she looked at the pretty things, and when her eye caught the beautiful hair comb, she fell in love with it, as the spell was made to.

Now she had been living with seven dwarves, who always in the day went down into their mines to work. So she traded a ruby for the comb, and putting it in her hair, immediately fell as if dead.

The woman smiled, and went away home, happy in the knowledge Snow White would no longer plague her.

And when she got home, she went to her mirror, and commanded,

_Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall  
Who is the Fairest One of All?_

But the mirror could show only the truth.

It showed Snow White.

What had happened was this: the dwarves, coming home to find Snow White dead, had been saddened and surprised. But one of them noticed a comb in her hair Snow White had never worn before, and taking it out, Snow White woke up as if she had been only asleep.

Now the woman went from her mirror in a rage. "Will that girl never die?" she screamed.

But she calmed herself, and set to weaving a spell that would not be so easy to undo.

So early the next month, when the buds were on the trees, the woman, clad in silk and shadows, went up to the house where Snow White hid.

And an old woman went up to Snow White.

Now, the dwarves had told Snow White the old lady was not to be trusted, but still Snow White could not believe ill of her. Surely the old lady had only meant to be kind.

"Will you look at some pretty things I have for sale?"

Now Snow White did not want to look, but thinking it polite, she said yes. And soon her eye fell on a slip of the softest cloth, thinner and smoother than silk. And as the spell had meant her too, she fell in love with it. And she traded an emerald for it.

Now the old lady smiled. "Put it on," she cajoled. So Snow White went into the house and put it on, but as she came out the waist of the slip tightened, and soon she fell to the ground as if dead, not breathing at all.

Now the woman walked away from Snow White.

And when she reached her home, she went to her mirror, and asked,

_Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall  
Who is the Fairest One of All?_

But the mirror could tell only the truth.

It showed Snow White.

Now the woman's fist flew out on anger and put a dent into her silver mirror, but soon she calmed, and began to think of a spell so subtle it could never be discovered.

Now, it was in the fall when the old woman came again, carrying baskets of crisp, sweet apples. And she went up to Snow White.

But this time Snow White was canny, and she refused to speak with the woman. But the witch had thought of that, and reaching into her basket, she pulled out the finest apple of all, and ate a bite. "You see? They are perfectly safe."

Now, even Snow White could not long hold out against the spell, and she fell in love with the apple.

"Will you buy my basket?" the woman asked. And Snow White traded a diamond for it. But still she was hesitant. Finally, though, she took a bite out of the apple the old woman had eaten. Surely that one, at least, must be fine.

But the woman had woven a spell far greater that any of the ones before—only half of the apple was enchanted.

Snow White ate a bite, and fell down, dead.

Now the woman went home and up to her mirror, and again, she said

_Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall  
Who is the Fairest One of All?_

And the mirror could only show the truth. It reflected only the woman.

But that was not the end of Snow White. The apple had not been swallowed, but only lodged in her throat. The dwarves laid her in a coffin of glass, in the middle of a glade, and in sadness they wept for Snow White.

But when the snows of April were melting, a prince from a far-off land rode through the forest, and seeing Snow White, looking as if she were asleep, in a coffin of glass in the middle of a glade, he broke it into fragments and gently lifted her out.

Now even in death, Snow White was the most beautiful woman in any of the far lands, and as if entranced, the prince kissed her.

Then Snow White coughed, choking, and the bit of apple flew from her mouth.

And the prince was amazed.

Then they fell in love, and eventually they got married, and all the dwarves came to her wedding.

But the old woman, when, one day, looking into her mirror, she saw not herself but Snow White, broke the mirror into a thousand pieces with her fist, and took the longest shard, and stabbed herself in the heart.

.

.

.


End file.
